One Book One Province 2026 Begins!

Today officially marks the start of One Book One Province! This wonderful program offers Saskatchewan residents a unique opportunity to find points of connection through a book with free, province-wide, in-person author events!

The 2026 One Book One Province title is Towards a Prairie Atonement by Trevor Herriot. Libraries, book clubs, and individuals across Saskatchewan will join together throughout the month for readings and discussions of this book.

We invite you to take part in the following in-person events:

• April 1: Saskatoon - U of S Education & Music Library
• April 1: Saskatoon - Saskatoon Public Library
• April 16: Regina - Royal Saskatchewan Museum
• April 18: Regina - Regina Public Library Film Theatre
• April 22: Yorkton - Yorkton Public Library
• April 24: Maple Creek - Jasper Cultural and Historical Centre
• April 25: Assiniboia - Shurniak Art Gallery
• April 28: Moosomin - Moosomin Public Library Branch

OBOP Adjacent Event: Earth Day Unitarian Service

April 12 | 10:30am | Saskatoon, SK

Saskatoon Unitarian Congregation

Earth Day, first held in 1970, has been serving to raise awareness about our endangered environments. This year, the Unitarian Congregation will celebrate their Earth Day service early with prairie naturalist, writer, and activist Trevor Herriot. Trevor will discuss the need for conservation and reconciliation with historical caretakers, the Indigenous and Métis peoples.

The service will be held at the Saskatoon Unitarian Congregation in Saskatoon. For more information, please visit ucsaskatoon.org or email:office@ucsaskatoon.org.

For complete OBOP program and event details, please visit us online using the link below.

Regional Parks Pass Lending Program Returns for Another Year!

The Saskatchewan Regional Parks Association, in conjunction with the Saskatchewan Library Association, is pleased to offer the 2026 Regional Parks Lending Program. This program is geared towards families and individuals who may otherwise not be able to access the Regional Parks without the lending program.

Starting from May 15 to September 8, 2026, anyone with a valid library card can borrow a pass from any Saskatchewan library and enjoy a seven-day loan period with free access to nearly 100 regional parks across the province! 

This year, 850 passes will be distributed to all regional library branches, libraries in Saskatoon, Regina, Prince Albert, and university libraries in Saskatoon and Regina. The Saskatchewan Regional Parks Guide and maps are included with each pass to help plan your next adventure!

For more information and materials, please use the link below.

Last Chance to Register for Conference!

This is your last chance! Registration for the 2026 Saskatchewan Libraries Conference: Libraries Open Doors closes on April 13th.

We encourage you to register soon, as we quickly approach delegate capacity.

Although our exhibitor spots are now filled up for this year, we still have sponsorship opportunities available. Don't wait too long, though! Sponsor registration closes on April 13. Click here to view our full 2026 Sponsorship & Exhibitors Prospectus.

This year's conference will take place from April 30 to May 1, 2026, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel & Conference Centre in Regina.

We would like to extend a huge thank you to those who have already partnered with us as sponsors and exhibitors for this year's conference. We couldn't make this happen without you! Our 2026 event sponsors and exhibitors are as follows:

2026 Sponsors

• Bravo Tango
• Carr McLean Ltd.
• CVS Midwest Tape/Hoopla Digital
• CUPE Saskatchewan
• Dr. John Archer Library & Archives, University of Regina
• Ledcor Construction Limited
• Library Bound Inc.
• Regina Public Library
• Saskatchewan Parks and Recreation (In-kind)
• Saskatoon Public Library
• Trojman Corporation
• University of Saskatchewan Library
• United Library Services

2026 Exhibitors

• Aboriginal Friendship Centres of Saskatchewan
• Association of Manitoba Book Publishers
• CBC Saskatchewan
• Clarivate
• Creative Kids Saskatchewan
• CUPE Saskatchewan
• CVS Midwest Tapes
• Britannica Inc.
• Law Society of Saskatchewan Legal Resources Library
• Library Bound Inc.
• Lung Saskatchewan
• OCLC
• Prison Library Sub-Committee (PLSC)
• Provincial Library & Literacy Office (PLLO)
• Online Therapy Unit (University of Regina)
• Saskatchewan Archaeological Society
• Saskatchewan Council for Archives & Archivists
• Saskatchewan Information & Library Services Consortium (SILS)
• SaskBooks
• TD Summer Reading Club
• University of Regina Press
• United Library Services
• Wintergreen Learning Materials

To register online or learn more, please use the links below.

Pre-Conference Workshop

With support from the Multitype Library Board, we are pleased to announce that the 2026 Saskatchewan Libraries Pre-Conference workshop, It Can Happen to You: Cybersecurity Planning & Libraries, is set to take place at the Hilton DoubleTree (Moose Jaw Room), in Regina, on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, from 1-4:30 pm.

The cost of this workshop is $45 + tax. Snacks and refreshments will be provided. Registration for this event closes on April 13 and is limited to 70 registrants. To register online, please use the link below.

SILS Pre-Conference Reception

SLA is pleased to open the 2026 conference with an evening social & dessert reception, hosted by SILS. Join us on April 29th at the DoubleTree by Hilton for an engaging and rejuvenating social affair!

This informal event will cap your day of travel, gear you up for conference, and celebrate the collaboration between staff and member libraries that have made the SILS Consortium such a successful partnership for the past 16 years. A cash bar will be available.

Please indicate your interest in attending through the conference registration form. We hope to see you there!

Summer Programming Grant Applications Opening Soon!



The Saskatchewan Library Association offers grants each year to member libraries to create summer programming. This year, SLA is offering 15 grants of up to $300 each for member libraries to offer summer programs for children and teens between July 1 and August 31, 2026. These grants are generously sponsored and presented by SaskTel.

Applications for the 2026 Summer programming grants open on April 21, 2026.

To learn more about summer programming grants or to apply, please visit us online using the link below.

The National Film Board in Libraries:

2026 TD Summer Reading Club Selections

Each year, the TD Summer Reading Club reaches out to the National Film Board for a curated list of great Canadian films that work with the year’s theme.

For 2026, the TD Summer Reading Club is pleased to present the compilation Drift & Discover. This selection of short films celebrates the wonders of water—from the depths of the sea to winding riverbeds and island shores. Playful and thoughtful, these works are crafted to engage young audiences through animation, storytelling, and imagination.

These films are available to libraries to support 2026 programming and events this year. For more information or to access these films for your library, please use the link below.

Congratulations to the Mary Donaldson Award of Merit Recipient!

The Mary Donaldson Award of Merit is given annually to a student enrolled in a library and information technology program in Canada. Recipients are chosen based on a combination of excellence in academic standing, recommendation, and a commitment to work in Saskatchewan. 

We would like to offer a warm congratulations to Dana Derks, the 2026 recipient of the Mary Donaldson Award of Merit!

Dana Derks is the school librarian at BSC2000 in Biggar, SK. She is halfway through her Library Information and Technology Program at Mohawk College in Ontario and is expected to complete her program at the end of summer 2027.

As a proud mother of three daughters, ranging in age from 20 to 15, Dana inherited her love of reading from her grandmother who introduced her to Lucy Maud Montgomery and the world of Anne of Green Gables. When she isn’t studying, Dana enjoys her free time coaching cross country skiing, practicing embroidery, discovering new authors, and spending time with friends and family.

To learn more about the Mary Donaldson Award of Merit, please use the link below.

Christine Taylor

Congratulations to the Get in the Game for Literacy Contest Winners!

The SLA would like to offer a warm round of applause to this year's winners of the Get In the Game for Literacy Success Contest: Taya Hope Bennet, Donna Code, Brianne Gabriel, Christine Taylor, and Melissa Bodenheimer! This contest ran from January 26-30 this year as a way of promoting and celebrating Family Literacy Day.

Brianne Gabriel

Melissa Bodenheimer

Donna Code (and friend)

The lucky winners of the 2026 Get In the Game for Literacy Success Contest were randomly selected to receive one of two Saskatchewan Roughrider Family Prize Packs or one of three Indigo eGift Cards.

Taya Hope Bennet

Thank you to everyone who took part in support of family literacy across the province. A very special thank you to the Roughrider Foundation for making this contest possible! We are grateful for your generous support and your ongoing partnership.

We hope to see you again next year for more fun!

Help Support the PLSC by Donating!

SLA's Prison Library Sub-Committee (PLSC) works to address the deficit of reading materials available to incarcerated youths and adults in Saskatchewan’s correctional facilities.

Are you planning on attending the Saskatchewan Libraries Conference this year? The SLA's Prison Library Sub-Committee is accepting new or gently used paperback book donations for drop-off at the Saskatchewan Libraries Conference. The committee also accepts book and monetary donations year-round.

To learn more about the PLSC or to donate, please use the link below or stop by their conference booth for a chat.

SLA Seeks New Treasurer!

Do you have a knack for numbers and want to be more involved with SLA?

The Saskatchewan Library Association is currently seeking a Treasurer. If you have a knack for numbers & a desire to support the provincial library community, this could be a great professional development opportunity!

Applications are open to individual SLA members, in good standing, with a willingness to commit to a 2-year term (2026-2028). Meetings are held virtually 6-7 times a year. 

Interested individuals can submit a letter of application and CV/resume outlining their experience, financial expertise, and how they would contribute to supporting the SLA Board of Directors and organizational mandate, to Tina Kleisinger, Executive Director -tkleisinger@saskla.ca, by April 14, 2026.

Please use the link below to learn more about the great work SLA does in support of Saskatchewan libraries.

Join us in Regina for the 2026 AGM!

We are excited to announce that SLA's 2026 Annual General Meeting will be held on Friday, May 1 from 8:15am to 9:15am at the Doubletree by Hilton in Regina, SK during the Saskatchewan Libraries Conference.

All SLA members are welcome to attend the AGM, and conference registration is not mandatory. All members are welcome to submit a written resolution prior to the AGM. Please use the link below to view the Resolution Guidelines and Resolution Form online.

The RPL Renewal Project Needs Your Support!

Libraries are not just about borrowing books. Across Saskatchewan, libraries are at the heart of our communities. When you invest in your library, you commit to building a space where everyone is welcome and encouraged to thrive.

In light of recent news, city funding for the new Regina Central Library branch renewal project is now at risk, and we are asking for your support. We encourage you to reach out to your city councillor and ask them to help move funding forward in support of a Central Library.

To Learn more, please use the link below.

• April 1 - National Indigenous Peoples Day Grant Applications Open

• April 1 - One Book One Province In-Person Events Begin

• April 14 - SLA Treasurer Applications Close

• April 15 - SK Libraries Conference Registration Closes

• April 21 - Summer Programming Grant Applications Open

• April 29 - SK Libraries Pre-Conference Workshop

• April 30-May 1 - SLA Saskatchewan Libraries Conference!

• May 1 - SLA Annual General Meeting

• May 15 - Regional Parks Pass Lending Program Opens!

Hello, everyone,

It’s that time again! It's the most wonderful time of the year—although I get why a lot of people also say that about Christmas, and I know a small but dedicated contingent of folks are really big into Hallowe’en as their favourite, and—you know what, I can see I need to start this thought over.

It's Conference season! It's the most wonderful time of the year, a statement I will not be accepting questions about at this time!  (I will also extend my condolences to anyone currently recovering from a particularly rough bout of March Madness this year.)

The Saskatchewan Libraries Conference is a highlight of each year for me, and I’m not just saying that because I met my now-wife at the 2017 Conference. (Hi, love!) I look forward to each one with anticipation and look back on each one with fondness, and this year’s Saskatchewan Libraries Conference promises to be another excellent entry into this longstanding tradition.  Our SLA Conference Planning and Conference Program committees have put months of eager planning and diligent preparation into this year’s installment, and we're excited to bring everyone together to the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel & Conference Centre Regina at the end of this month. 

Conference registration closes on April 15, so be sure to complete and submit your form before that date—and don’t forget about our April 29 preconference, It Can Happen To You: Cybersecurity Planning & Libraries, sponsored by the Multitype Library Board!  April 29 will also feature an evening social and dessert reception hosted by the SILS Consortium, ahead of the jam-packed full two-day Conference program. 

Whether you're a first-time Conference participant or a longtime regular—the first one I'd attended was in Moose Jaw in 2014, which I am realizing is somehow twelve years ago already—we look forward to welcoming you to this year's Saskatchewan Libraries Conference!

Until next time,

James Hope Howard

SLA President

You have a story. We can help you tell it.

Join Regina Public Library this April for Writes of Spring!

They’re bringing you expert writing tips from the Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild, CBC, local authors, and their Writer in Residence.

Register early for free interactive workshops, publishing advice, book launches, and more.

• April 7 – Thrill Your Reader with Marty Chan
• April 9 – Everyone Has a Short Story to Tell with Janani Whitfield
• April 11 – Finding the Heart of the Story with Anne Lazurko
• April 11 – Book Launch: The Long Sixties: Stories from the New Left with Jim Harding
• April 14 – Poetry in the Gallery with Carol Rose GoldenEagle
• April 18 –  Intro to Writing Romance with RPL’s Writer in Residence Ev Bishop
• April 25 – Writing Your First Mystery Novel: A Practical Guide with Betty Ternier Daniels

2026 PRLS Conference: Call for Submissions

The Parkland Regional Library System 2026 Conference will be held on Monday, September 21, 2026.

The PRLS planning committee is currently seeking program proposals for one-hour presentations at the conference. Our conference attendees will include library managers, staff, and board members. Some of the topics we are interested in are:

• Collections/Merchandising
• Fundraising/Financial Administration
• Artificial Intelligence/Cyber-security/Privacy
• Mental Health
• Intellectual Freedom/Political Neutrality and The Public Library
• Board Governance/Policy/Advocacy

The deadline for submissions is April 24, 2026, and submissions will receive a response from the planning committee by April 30, 2026. 

Your submission must include the following information:

• Name
• Affiliation
• Position/title
• Contact information - including mailing address, phone, and e-mail
• Library System
• Session title
• Session description (in 100 words or less)
• Three session goals or objectives
• Session format (double or single speakers, panel, hands-on/workshop, etc.)

To submit your proposal or inquire, please use the link below.

U of R Seeking Research Participants

The University of Regina is looking for volunteers to take part in the study Role of Public Libraries in Supporting Integration of Refugee and Immigrant Families Migrating to Canada: A Critical Ethnography. Refugee/Immigrant, Librarian, or Settlement Service Providers in Saskatchewan are invited to participate.

Participation will involve a 40-60 minute online discussion. As an appreciation for their time, volunteers will receive a $50 e-Gift Card.

Guidelines:

• Use “Library project” in the subject-line
• An individual’s decision to participate or not in the study will not impact their ability to use the services of any of the community partners
• If you know other individuals that may be interested in participating in this research, we encourage you to privately send this poster to them. Please do not repost, like, or tag this poster on social media as then people may believe you have participated in the study and your anonymity is compromised. There is no obligation for you to pass along this information, and there will be no penalty if you do not provide this information.

This study has been reviewed and received approval through the Research Ethics Board, University of Regina.

For more information on the study, or to participate, please use the email link below to contact Dr. Shela Hirani:

Dr. Shela Hirani, PhD, MScN, BScN, RN, IBCLC

Professor

Faculty of Nursing

University of Regina

Call for Applications: CAPAL Early Career Researcher & Student Research Paper Awards

The CAPAL Awards Committee is delighted to announce the 2026 opening of applications for two awards: the Early Career Researcher Award and the Student Research Paper Award. These awards aim to recognize and encourage excellence in research within our community.

Early Career Researcher Award

This award, which includes a $500 prize and a one-year CAPAL membership, is designed to encourage excellence in research among early career professional academic librarians. It is open to individuals who have graduated from a Master of Library and Information Science program or equivalent within the last seven years. Group submissions are welcome, with the prize money split among winners.

Application deadline: April 27, 2026

Student Research Paper Award

This award recognizes research excellence in an unpublished paper written by students completing an MLIS or equivalent degree. The award includes a $500 prize and a one-year CAPAL membership. It is open to both individual and group submissions, with the prize money split among winners.

Application deadline: April 20, 2026

Applications for both awards should be submitted to capalawards@gmail.com.

For detailed information about the eligibility criteria, application requirements, and submission guidelines for each award, please refer to the Early Career Researcher Award and the Student Paper Award on the CAPAL Awards Committee webpage.

Apply today and showcase your impactful work!

Quebec Public Libraries Rendez-vous

The Quebec Public Libraries Association, in partnership with the Montreal Libraries, is preparing the next Quebec Public Libraries Rendez-vous, which will be held on May 7 and 8, 2026, in Montreal.

The Rendez-vous, a unique training and networking event dedicated to public libraries, presents an innovative and inspiring program featuring renowned figures and experts from Quebec, Canada, and around the world. This event attracts all staff working in the sector and is also accessible worldwide thanks to its hybrid format. More than 450 participants are expected: will you join us?

For more information or to register, please use the link below.

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